Long Merlin Poems

The Pictish Faeries
by Michael R. Burch

Smaller and darker
than their closest kin,
the faeries learned only too well
never to dwell
close to the villages of larger men. 

Only to dance in the starlight
when the moon was full
and men...

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7. Playing With Fire
My mom IS quite clear on the dangers of fire,
But if boy'S hooked on flame, then it'S hard to obey,
There'S a longing for “MATCH GUN” (6) that most boys acquire,
Small'S the chance...

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"Kaleidoscope" 

They say another
wrote the story, not I.
that I, mere I,
having little experience, shy 
and far removed from 
such an alien world,
would not possess the knowledge
of such terrible and ruthless, lusty 
characters of strong will;...

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In my opinion, one goal in life is to reach the summit of the mountain of knowledge.
But we all seem to be in a rush to attain this, and all following the same path that...

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Sitting on the beach,
As dusk falls upon the end of shore,
I look at the lighthouse,
As I see a faint figure,
Looking beyond the sea.
She holds her chest,
As if she is holding a necklace.
She waits for her...

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Pittsburgh, hammertown, Chuck Knoll and his boys
established the best Superbowl Era dynasty
with the "Steel Curtain" defense and the "Blonde Bomber" Bradshaw,
a defense disciplined on shrapnel and elite ego,
"Mean Joe Greene" and Jack Lambert, a compulsive...

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A long, long time ago, there lived a family of tin-beings,
in an underground basement in a garage. Oil and grease
were their favorite delicacy. Mechanics always wondered
where their oil and grease vanished to.

One night, one of...

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Playmates
by Michael R. Burch
 
WHEN you were my playmate and I was yours,
we spent endless hours with simple toys,
and the sorrows and cares of our indentured days
were uncomprehended . . . far, far away ....

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Alfredo always abhorred angry approaches
After an amigo accosted after an argument
And, afterward, Alfredo abstained arguing,

Because blackening bruises betrayed blather
Berniccio blindly behaved better, bravely
Becoming brotherly before blasting bullies!

Carefully commandeering calmer Carlos,
Claiming cool comradeship courageously
Communicated clever candid...

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Uther’s Last Battle
by Michael R. Burch

When Uther, the High King,
unable to walk, borne upon a litter
went to fight Colgrim, the Saxon King,
his legs were weak, and his visage bitter.
“Where is Merlyn, the sage?
For today I...

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Note: the "dd" in Welsh names is pronounced "th."

Merlyn's Birth
by Michael R. Burch

I was born in Gwynedd,
or not born, as some men claim,
and the Zephyr of Caer Myrrdin
gave me my name.

My father was Madog Morfeyn
but...

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It has been many years since his daughter was lost
If he could bring her back he would at all costs
Ever since that day he has wandered and roamed
Turned his back on his family and their...

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From the trenches of the dark underground into the sewers of the slumworld, a place terrified with the pain of fear, gripped from their minds unto their souls, they are afraid of the outside world,...

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Now, the other day Dragon over heard it said that, eventually, we all must die.
Now remember he is only 2 years old, and suddenly he’s worried about me, sigh!
Yes, my hair is gray, and yes,...

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To the torn page out of Modern day Merlin’s book of wizardry,

I regret to inform you that you are nothing more than a recipe for tomato soup. You have no enchanted qualities about you, but...

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Dragon found a Fairy Ring and quickly jumped inside! Heaven Forbid!
Dancing round and round, he suddenly disappeared. Yes! He surely did!
As he disappeared I knew that trouble would without doubt, now ensue.
So I blew out...

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The more the world changes, the more it stays the same.
I was just telling my 2-year-old Dragon, this the other day.
Now I have a petulant Dragon, once I had a petulant child.
They might be very...

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Had the strangest dream last night.
Merlin appeared in a cloak of white.
Wielding no magic, he related how tragic,
That many couldn't stand and fight.

With crystalline focus at hand,
Didn't know what he had planned.
Casting ego aside, I...

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"PreOccupation"

spiced

cut up poetry
divides 
numbers 

intentional 
drivel moved 
to the side

on a blank page
into neat lines
sucked up

a much loved 
addiction 
novel and short

Pre Occupation 
of all the glossy 
shrouded shrouds

minds spiced
scab picking, their
word salads, tossed

the windbags
blowing...

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Spirit of the ancient isles,
Of Erin and of Albion,
I call to thee,
Please come to us,
Ancient spirit come to me,
I call to thee,
In moorland wind,
And highland glen,
In summer meadow,
By Greenwood tree,
I recall bluebells in spring,
Autumn rains...

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Magic really does exist! Who could ever doubt its power
after reading the tale of Merlin, locked in the castle tower?
As a smoky colored feline that the cruel king didn't like,
he was chased by the Royal...

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I smile, deceiving time, but my bewitching heart weeps,
In the evenings when loneliness spreads its canvas with sparse stars.
To love you – means I wish you fields of poppies under the illuminated moon,
Means that your...

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When the dawn embraces the universe
Darkness intensifies to cloak the sky
The gaze of mortal sees nothing but night
Then you rise from above exuding your light
 
You are the moon that reigns above
Enduring the sleepless time...

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Merlin was found abandoned when he was a kitten
Wet, cold and hungry, and badly flea-ridden
His meowing was constant, distressingly high-pitched.
Having been cruelly treated, then callously ditched.

He quickly grew strong and quickly grew big.
His recovery, a...

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The Wild Hunt
by Michael R. Burch

(King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table have been reported as ghostly hunters, near Devon, around Halloween.)

Near Devon, the hunters appear in the sky
with Artur and Bedwyr sounding...

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